Jericho Project Veterans Initiative
Jericho Project was founded in 1983 on the belief that every homeless individual can
make transformational change towards a better life. Jericho’s mission is to end
homelessness at its roots by creating a community that inspires individual change,
fosters sustainable independence, and motivates men and women to reach their
greatest potential.
Jericho’s nationally-recognized program model combines supportive housing with
individualized relapse prevention counseling, family reunification support,
vocational and educational programming, and ongoing aftercare. Over the past
quarter century the vast amount of Jericho residents have maintained their sobriety
while making remarkable personal achievements. In fact, 95% of Jericho graduates,
individuals who have successfully moved on to independent lives, have maintained
their sobriety and housing stability.
Jericho Project currently provides 280 units of supportive housing to formerly
homeless men and women through five congregate residences in Central Harlem
and the Bronx and one 27-unit Scatter-Site Program in the Bronx. All of the
individuals who come to Jericho have histories of serious substance abuse and are
homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, with 90% coming directly from New
York City shelters, residential drug treatment programs, or off the streets. The
average age of Jericho residents is 49 years old, 61% are men, and 68% are AfricanAmerican, 23% Latino/a, and 9% Caucasian.
A 2007 report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness concluded that 1 out of
4 homeless individuals in the U.S. is a veteran. In New York City nearly 3,500
veterans sleep in shelters or on the streets every night. Jericho Project’s two new
supportive housing residences for homeless and low-income veterans, the first new
housing programs for veterans in New York City in 15 years, will provide 132 new
units of supportive housing to veterans by 2011.
The Crisis of Homeless Veterans
There are an estimated 200,000 veterans in homeless shelters and on the streets
in the United States and more than 400,000 veterans experience homelessness
over the course of a year. A growing number of veterans are also severely rent
burdened, with 500,000 paying more than 50% of their income on rent.
Veterans from the Vietnam war began to experience homelessness between 9 to
12 years after returning from combat and now represent nearly 50% of homeless
veterans. Deeply concerning is that Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have
already begun to experience homelessness. More than 2,000 veterans from the
current conflicts have already accessed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
homeless programs and countless are accessing community homeless shelters
and programs.
More than 34% of soldiers in Iraq have been deployed multiple times, most of
them in urban combat zones. The U.S. Department of Defense estimates that 60%
of soldiers injured in Iraq have sustained blast injuries, two-thirds of which are
traumatic brain injuries (TBI). It has also been documented that 20% of Iraq war
veterans overall are suffering from TBI or other combat related conditions such as
depression, anxiety and/or post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD).
These traumas, coupled with the reality that 46% of Iraq veterans are under the
age of 25, makes a seamless transition back to a healthy civilian life especially
difficult. Our nation’s veterans from all eras desperately need housing and decent
jobs as well as treatment for TBI, PTSD, and other combat-related stress in order
to avoid developing serious substance abuse problems and falling into chronic
homelessness.
Jericho Project’s Veterans Initiative
President Obama’s commitment to bring Iraq combat troops home beginning in
August of 2010 shines a harsh light on the critical need to find replicable solutions
to the national tragedy of homeless veterans. Jericho’s Veterans Initiative is a direct
response to this crisis. The Initiative includes:
 The development of new supportive housing residences for veterans;
 The creation of an evidence-based veterans service model based on the
Jericho’s proven model; and
 Strategic efforts to stimulate the further development of supportive housing
initiatives for veterans nationwide.
The cornerstone of Jericho’s Veterans Initiative is the development of two new
supportive housing residences in the Bronx for homeless and low-income veterans.
Jericho’s first veterans residence will be located at 355 East 194th Street and will
provide homes for 56 veterans. Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2009
and be completed in late 2010. The second residence will be located directly
adjacent to the James J. Peters Bronx VA Medical Center at 2701 Kingsbridge
Avenue and will provide homes for an additional 76 veterans. Construction at
Kingsbridge will start in late 2009 and the residence will open its doors in 2011.
The veterans residences will be state-of-the-art buildings that will feature small
studio apartments, staff offices, community rooms, computer labs, and gardens and
will be LEED certified — one of the highest green building certifications. At both,
60% of the units will be set aside for veterans who have a history of homelessness
and substance abuse, and 40% will be for low-income veterans from the
community, with priority given to veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
Jericho Project has undertaken extensive research into pre-existing veterans’
services as well as newer, cutting-edge therapy to develop an evidence-based
service model to best support veterans in their healing process, including those
who are suffering from TBI and PTSD.
In addition to Jericho’s traditional on-site staff the veterans residences will be
staffed with Psychiatrists, PTSD/TBI specialists, Peer Counselors, and Veterans Affairs
Entitlement specialists. All staff will be required to have extensive experience with
veterans services and whenever possible Jericho will hire veterans.
The newly designed Peer Counseling Program will build upon veteran’s sense of
community and shared purpose to promote sobriety and healing while helping
them set and meet long-range goals. The program will utilize Peer Counselors who
will receive extensive training. In addition, all veterans will have on-site access to
the full-range of Jericho’s acclaimed programs, including:
Relapse Prevention: Each veteran will receive substance abuse relapse prevention
services that support their sobriety and encourage them to seek help when they are
in crisis. Case Managers will work closely with veterans so that early intervention
strategies can be initiated before a relapse occurs. When relapses do occur,
veterans will be encouraged to seek treatment through programs in Jericho’s
extensive referral network.
Vocational and Educational Services: As of March 2009, the unemployment rate for
Iraq war veterans was a startling 11.2%, and reached 15% for vets between the age
20 to 24. Jericho’s acclaimed Vocational and Education program will provide
veterans with individualized vocational counseling, educational referrals, job
readiness training, financial skills management, job search assistance and
placement, and career advancement on-site at both veterans residences.
Family Reunification Program: The break-up of families is often a tragic result of
homelessness and substance abuse, and women veterans are 2 to 4 times more
likely than non-veteran women to become homeless. Family Reunification
Counselors will work closely with the veterans to guide them through an
individualized reunification process that may include assistance with legal
representation and court advocacy for those attempting to regain custody or
formal visitation with their dependent children, and parenting skills training.
Aftercare Program: Jericho’s Aftercare Program will provide individualized support
needed to ensure that the elements necessary for an independent life, a stable
income, affordable housing, and necessary neighborhood support and services are
in place when a veteran is ready to “graduate” from Jericho. Once they have
successfully moved on, Aftercare Counselors provide extensive support for at least
two years.
Jericho will measure the effectiveness of its program and services by the
achievements of the veterans living at its residences. Program staff will follow
standard Jericho data collection and generate bi-annual reports to evaluate the
program’s effectiveness. Anticipated outcomes at both residences include:
 At least 90% of veterans will maintain stable, permanent housing;
 At least 85% will remain free from substance abuse;
 At least 80% of veterans will actively participate in vocational and
educational activities; and
 At least 50% of veterans will move on to independent housing within three
years.
With hundreds of thousands of veterans scheduled to return home from their
service to our county in upcoming years, only a dedicated and concerted effort will
prevent an escalation of homelessness among our nation’s veterans. Jericho
Project has made it a priority and has committed extensive organizational resources
to help veterans who are currently homeless and to prevent chronic homelessness
for the brave young men and women returning from the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Together we can ensure that no veteran will spend another day on the
streets or in homeless shelters.
Jericho Project Veterans Advisory Council
Ramsey McGrory, Co-Chair of the Veterans Advisory Council, is a Gulf War Veteran and
Jericho Board Member. Mr. McGrory is a vice president of Corporate Partnerships at Yahoo!
and served in the military from 1985-1993 with tours of duty in Germany and the Persian
Gulf War.
LTC. Craig Osborne has been appointed the Department of Defense Special Liaison to the
Veterans Advisory Council. Ltc. Osborne is the Special Assistant to the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, Warrior and Survivor Care Task Force
René Bardorf is the Executive Director of the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation. Ms. Bardorf,
is an expert in family readiness and injured support in the Armed Services. Previously, she
was the senior civilian advisor for injured support to the United States Marine Corps, and
served as a strategic planner in the Department of Defense.
Cheryl Beversdorf, is an Army veteran nurse and is President and CEO of The National
Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the only national nonprofit organization specifically
focused on improving the opportunities for homeless veterans to regain control of their
lives and again become contributing members of society.
Dr. C. Roscoe Brown, Jr. commanded the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter
Group (the "Tuskegee Airmen") in World War II. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross and Air Medal with eight Oak Leaf Clusters and the Congressional Gold Medal. Dr.
Brown is director of the Center for Urban Education Policy at the City University of New
York.
Paul W. Critchlow is a decorated Vietnam Veteran who was a forward observer trained at
the elite Pathfinders School to call in artillery or air support for protection. He received a
Bronze Star for Valor and a Purple Heart. He is the Vice Chairman, Public Markets, for
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
Henrietta Fishman is U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Manager, Homeless
Veterans Treatment Programs.
Christopher Page is a Veteran of the United States Army and Chair, Junior Committee of the
Soldiers', Sailors', Marines', Coast Guard and Airmen's Club (SSMAC) Club.
Senator Larry Pressler is a former U.S. Senator who served as a member of Congress for 22
years. Senator Pressler is a Vietnam Combat Veteran and Foreign Service Officer and the
recipient of Vietnam Service Medals, including Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation
Medal, and Meritorious Unit Commendation w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster.
Paul Reickhoff is Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), a
non-partisan non-profit founded in 2004 with tens of thousands of members in all 50 US
states, Mr. Reickhoff was a First Lieutenant and infantry rifle platoon leader in the Iraq war
from 2003-2004.